Most working parents are worried about leaving their kids alone at home fearing they will play with a stove burner or leave the taps running or the lights and fans on before stepping out. Now imagine a scenario, where parents can simply take out their smartphone and check if everything is safe and sound at home?
Welcome to the era of smart homes, where sensors can detect a problem and send an immediate alert to your smartphone if the security door is left open or the TV is left on.
Mikita Laad Gupta, Senior Designer, Bonito Designs feels that until a few years ago, smart homes were accessible only to the rich and the wealthy. But today, these smart technologies have become affordable and every other average household is incorporating them to make their living secure and convenient.
Home automation devices were designed to simplify and enhance the daily lives of consumers. Most of these automation devices have evolved with the changing demands of consumers such as security, entertainment, connectivity, sustainability and safety.
A host of innovative gadgets have enabled consumers to stay tension free with advanced technological features such as camera surveillance, smart door locking system, fire detection systems, electronically enabled lighting systems, etc. A smart home is now easily attainable with automated control of all the electrical appliances or by retrofitting the existing system with some smart devices.
There are several smart home kits available in the market that work with multiple devices and turn your home into a living dream. However, smartifying a home should not be restricted to automation and intuitive devices alone; they should also help in reducing energy consumption. Several smart technologies have been released that are energy efficient and improve your comfort at the same time. They help in cutting down the energy bills to a great extent by simply turning off the lights with the help of automatic timers and motion detectors. Light dimmers too can be put into use to save energy by presetting brightness levels according to the occasion.
Home automation systems can be standalone or fully integrated whereby you can easily control lighting, audio, heating, access and theatre with a simple user interface. While these standalone devices fulfil the purpose of saving energy, they also require less manpower and save money. For example, the Roomba Vacuum Cleaners by iRobot India a proprietary 3-stage cleaning system and come loaded with adaptive navigation and patented Dirt Detect Technology. They can easily navigate across and underneath household furniture while avoiding stairs and every other obstacle that stands in their way. Most of such devices can be voice controlled using Amazon Alexa, remotely operated using smartphone applications, and can also be integrated with IFTTT (a web-based service) for automated tasks.
Almost every electrical device and system in your home can be easily automated and managed via a smart device and offer autonomous control. In the early days of home automation, most systems were designed to be installed while a home was under construction or in the initial stages of a home renovation. However, in the current scenario of massive technology advancements, there are new and advanced options that allow these smart systems to be incorporated in existing homes.
The key factors that are influencing the customers to shift to smart technologies in their homes are the high disposable incomes, the increased preference to save energy and the desire to live luxuriously. While some of these devices can be expensive, they may cut down on other costs as that of energy and help to reduce manpower. These one-time expensive purchases can result in creating long-term value and help in ensuring the safety of children and elderly people at home. Thanks to deeper internet penetration and the rising concerns about safety, discerning home buyers today are keen to switch to the smart home concept.
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